The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-01

her 1flenu Tn nanu ana uOctOr nef. .. At dinner time Edith, watch ing her, saw the evident effort made by the young wife to appear cheerful and easy, and was surprised that Mir. Dalton did not seem to be aware that any thing was wrong.
 "I certainly shall not enlighten him." she declared to herself. ''but | will see what l can do with Lucy when he is gone. Ignorance iS bliss in case like this. Why, he would fret himself to fiddle strings it hr thought she were ill."
 When the morning arrived which witnessed Mir. Dalion'~ departure tu the north, Edith noticed more than ever that her frirnd was la orin9 under some emotion which was not unconnccled, so it seemed to her, with excitement.
 Edith withdrew to let the couple say farewell. As she went into the drawing room her thoughts flew for the first to her father and his marriage scheme.
 'I suppose had better write and tell the poor old man that l consent to meet Mir. Rochdale. It can do no harm at any rate, and l cant possibly marry him without seeing him first 1 will go home at the end of this week"
 The first day of MT. Dalton's ab- sence passed much as usual. On the second Mrs. Dalton drove out with her friend and child, and did some shopping. AS they returned to the comfortable villa near Regents Park they met woman carrying a parcel in her hand, evidently bound for 6 journey.
 "Why that is Parker, is it not?' Edith said suddenly; lis she going away, Lucy?"
 Parker was the houeemaid at the villa.
 "Yes," Mrs. Dalton murmured stopping with q hurried gesture to push some parcels on to the seat oppo- site. "She has been wanting to go home for some time, and I thought now Herbert was away it was good chance to give her holiday"
 Edith acquiesced in this, and did not observe Lucy's face flush crimson and then fade to deathly pallor as sht spoke; indeed, at that moment they turned in at the gates, and Parker wat forgotten.
 The two women dined rather drearily, for Lucy was strangely dull, and Edith was suddenly attacked by an unusual and disagreeable tooth. ache:
 "Why not go to bed, Edith ?" Mrs Dalton suggested, as the clock strucl nine and they were back in the draw. ing room.
 Edith felt desperately cross with herself. "A nice person am to cheer any one up," she thought viciously She was more than annoyed that SC trivial but painful an ailment should visit her when she was the possessol of so rarely white and even set oI teeth. She was not easily beaten, but after half an hour had gone, during which she had been too uncomfortable to notice the strange, restless manner in which Lucy fidgeted about, she threw up the sponge and declared fol bed. ,z
 "Let me bring you some brandy and water, and it will make you sleep, was Mrs. Dalton's eager request.
 And Edith was obliged to permit her friend to perform this charitable office, and see her to her room. She bade Lucy good night, and after 6 wild desire to bang her head against the wall, drank the brandy with ( shudder, and after awhile dropped of into delightful slumber in whicl every twinge of pain was lost. Al at once she awoke with a start, and her heart beat in an uneven fashion she sat up in bed and looked at hel watch-just 12 o'clock; she had slept then over two hours soundly, and tn, refractory tooth was subdued. Sh, was slipping her watch under tn, pillow when again she started; it hat been no delusion, footsteps were pass ing down the landing. Like light. ming Edith was out of bed and haC thrown on her dressing gown. Hel courage taltered for a moment, fol Edith was only girl, and hideou stories of pistols and nasty shooting by latter-day burglars came to hel mind but it was only for moment then taking her candle in hand, sh, went as noiselessly as possible to tn, head of the stairs and passed down All was still, and from the fiickerins light ot the hall lamp she could set there was no one left us sentinel ol spy; so she determined, not withou a curious sensation at her heart, tt creep boldly down, reconnoiter, ant then go back and rouse the house She made very little noise descending and at last stood in the hall. Tn, voice was still faint, and she paused to listen before proceeding. The nex | instant sha was at tho d;u;nor ~rox,